


Soul'd

by ArgentSleeper



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Merlin Writers, Slave Trade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 13:56:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1349869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentSleeper/pseuds/ArgentSleeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Well, that was one way to use a body slave.  Personally, Merlin was not impressed.</p><p> </p><p>Prompt fill for Merlin Writers</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soul'd

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rotrude](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rotrude/gifts).



> Original Prompt (Song Theme) by rotrude
> 
> Save Me by Queen
> 
> Specifically the line "A soul for sale or rent"

Merlin was reasonably certain this was not what they meant by selling yourself.

 

Although to be fair, it’s not like this was his choice.  This was all down to those vile slavers that picked him up while he was washing dishes down by the stream.  Gwaine had offered to go with him –the sun was sinking rapidly by the time the knights finished their supper –but the king had mocked him for being scared of the dark, so Merlin stomped off alone.

 

Arthur was probably kicking himself for that now.  When Merlin got back to Camelot he would probably be forbidden from going on patrols or hunts or quests with them ever again because it was “just too dangerous.”

 

The edict would last approximately a week, then he would be right back out by Arthur’s side.

 

Of course, first Merlin had to fix the considerably large problem of how to get out of here.

 

They knew he was a sorcerer.  It’d been hard to hide the fact when they’d caught him red-handed, scrubbing all the dishes at once in his haste to get back before night truly fell.  They’d been prepared, slapping cuffs on him that effectively shut down any magical attempts at escape.  Those would definitely be a nuisance in any plans he might make.

 

And he had to make a plan.  The auction was due to start any minute, and while most of the others in his pen were resigned to their fate, there was no way he was going down without a fight.  Merlin was no one’s _body slave_.  Not even Arthur would dare call him that, even at his most prattish.

 

The first victims were being led out.  He was running out of time.  Running, was that the answer?  Just make a sprint for it while they were distracted by someone else?  Or maybe he could just annoy everyone into not buying him.  Yes, Arthur kept him around, but that was more fate’s doing than any actual attachment on his part, surely.

 

The pen was clearing out.  How were people reaching top bids already?  Surely buying another human being consisted of a great deal more haggling than this.  Merlin was really going to have to have a talk with someone.  Once he was out of here.  Which was what he really needed to figure out.  Now, if possible.

 

The door to the pen opened again, and it took Merlin one wild glance around to realize he was the last one.

 

“Have I ever told you how annoying I am?”

 

The slaver ignored him and dragged him out onto the platform.  A crowd was gathered, both of buyers and observers.  Merlin recognized a few who had been eyeing him earlier through the bars of the pen.  There was one in particular with a permanent leer he had no desire to get to know further.

 

“This one here’s the last of the day.  I hope you been saving your coin for this one, folks.  The lad may not look like much, but there’s more to him than meets the eye.”  Merlin wasn’t sure if he should be offended or flattered by the auctioneer’s sales pitch.  “This boy’s got magic, and it’s yours for the taking!  We’ll start the bidding at twenty silver coins.”

 

**_No one_ ** _is “taking” my magic, thank you very much.  Not while I have breath in my body.  I don’t care how many suppression charms you put on me._

 

Magic may have been feared and hated, but it sure sold.  The bidding went from twenty silver coins to fifty gold ones before Merlin could even process what was happening.  He glared defiantly at the crowd, making sure they knew this was one slave who wouldn’t come to heel.  And if the rougher ones thought he’d be fun to break he’d show them they had another think coming.

 

“Sold to the highest bidder for seventy-two gold coins!  Enjoy your vessel.”

 

Merlin was shoved off the stage into the arms of the leer-y man and his cohorts.  _Vessel.  He means vassal.  But that doesn’t make any sense either.  Clearly life in the slave trade doesn’t make you smarter._

The leer-y man gripped him by the arm, smirking at him as he hauled him over to an inn.  Merlin let his body go lax, dropping to the ground like a stone.  “That’s not going to work with me, boy.”  He gestured to one of his lackeys, who scooped Merlin up like he was a bag of flour.  Immediately Merlin switched his tactics, punching and kicking and clawing at his captor.  The men just laughed.  “He is a spirited one, ain’t he?  The master will like him.”

 

He wasn’t sold to the leer-y man?  That was good to hear.  But if experience told him anything it was to be wary of the one called “master.”  Power corrupted.  Even Arthur had fallen prey to its spell before Merlin came along and straightened him out.

 

But there was no cause to panic, right?  Why, several of the slavers had been chastised for being too rough with their captives on the way here.  The buyers needed unharmed vessels ( _More vessels.  Yes, the slave trade is definitely not conducive to vocabulary building._ ).  That wasn’t just for purchasing, was it?  They wanted him unharmed for good, right?  Right.  He had nothing to worry about.

 

His human cart stuffed him in a room with the leer-y man, stalking back out with the others.  Merlin stumbled back as far as he could while the man’s smirk grew bigger, more predatory. He eyed the room for a weapon, landing on the empty curtain rod.  If he could just reach it in time…

 

“Now, now, boy.  No need to be afraid.  Why waste all that pretty fight in you?  I hear you can still feel everything afterwards, even if you can’t show it.”  He held up a large jewel, and Merlin understood.

 

This time the jewel was a round orb, and the contents were deep purple, but there was no mistaking the resemblance to the one which had contained the soul of Cornelius Sigan.

 

They had bought him as a vessel.  A vessel for possession.

 

Oh no.  Oh no no no.  This was bad.  This was worse than bad.  Last time Merlin had managed to defeat Sigan, to stop him from taking over his body and force him back in his jewelled cell.  But this time Merlin didn’t have either jewel or magic, and no means of getting either before the soul of whoever this was was unleashed upon him.

 

“I really don’t think I’m the best person to be a host for another person, honestly,” he babbled.  Perhaps there was still some hope in his annoy-them-to-death plan.  “There’s just all this stuff all jumbled up in there already, and I’m not sure there’s even room for someone else to come and stay, and I’m not the greatest at sharing a room, just ask my mother, or Gauis, or even Arthur –though I’ve never actually shared a room with him, but he knows anyway– I’m just really messy and a general pest and I’m clearly an idiot, not someone you want to spend the rest of your days with, so I really think–”

 

“Quiet, boy!”  The leery-man snapped, backhanding him harshly and sending Merlin sprawling to the floor.  “You’ll have plenty of time to talk to yourself when you’re the only one who’ll be able to listen.

 

Okay.  Okay, he had to come up with a better plan.  A plan someone without magic would do.  Arthur?  No, Arthur would brandish about his sword and his title, and Merlin had neither sword nor title to speak of, nor the skills to use either.  In fact, nearly all his friends were swordsmen.  Gaius would look at his captor disapprovingly and somehow confuse them into apologizing and doing chores.  That _really_ wasn’t going to work for him –Merlin didn’t have the right eyebrows.

 

That left Gwen.  Merlin knew exactly how Gwen would handle the situation, and while he couldn’t pull off the part where he scolded his slavers into reconsidering their life choices, he could manage step two.

 

Still on the ground, Merlin swept out a foot and hooked the leg of the leer-y man, yanking him off balance.  Then he lurched forward and _shoved_ , sending him to the ground beside him.  Merlin scrambled to his feet and made for the curtain rod.  The rod wanted to stay fast to the wall, but with a firm tug, he broke it free.  Now he was channelling Gwen and his knight friends as he used the curtain rod to fend off his foe.

 

Unfortunately, he knew this was only a delay.  A soul couldn’t be fought off with physical means.  But as long as he could keep the leer-y man from releasing it, he was safe.  How long he could last he didn’t know, but there was no way Merlin was going down without a fight.

 

“I think it’s time you learn to bow to your master, eh, _slave_?”

 

The leer-y man lifted the jewel and began to speak the words that would break the seal.  In a blind panic, Merlin flung the curtain rod at him.  As the rod left his hand, a giant _force_ exploded out of him, sending both the leer-y man and himself flying backwards.  They hit opposite walls, leaving Merlin dazed.  Then the door of the room flew open to reveal Arthur and the knights charging in, swords raised.

 

“Merlin?  Merlin, are you alright?”

 

A hand shook his shoulder, and Merlin fought to clear his blurry vision enough to tell who it was.  “Fiiii-yah.”

 

He thought it came out normal, but apparently his hearing was as bad as his vision.

 

“Okay, just take it easy.  You’re safe now.  Elyan, you got the keys?”

 

A loss of weight told Merlin they had unlocked his cuffs.  He felt his magic curl happily around him, as if it wanted to be praised for a job well done.  _You nearly knocked me out.  No treats for you._

 

“What’s this he’s got?  Looks expensive.  Didn’t know people had stuff like this outside royalty.”

 

Merlin tried to scramble forward, sure Gwaine –it was Gwaine, wasn’t it? –was referring to the soul jewel.

 

“Just relax, Merlin.  What’s wrong?”

 

“Baaad gem.  Baaaad.  Nooooo.  Nooo touchie!”

 

He could have sworn someone was laughing at him.  He pouted.

 

“Okay, Merlin, we won’t touch it.  Can we wrap it up in a blanket, is that okay?  Doesn’t look like something we should leave here.  Then we need to wrap you up and get you back to Camelot.  You seem to have knocked your head about a bit.  Not that there’s anything in there to damage, but…”

 

Mmm, a blanket, there was an idea.  Merlin _was_ getting rather sleepy.  He leaned into the arms that were lifting him from the ground.

 

“Are you going to make it to the horses, Merlin?  Or should we sing you a lullaby?”

 

“Now I lay me down to sleep…”

 

Yes, someone was definitely laughing at him.  “Good to know he talks just as much nonsense when he’s not addled, or we might have to be concerned.”

 

_I pray the Lord, my soul to keep._


End file.
